Erasing the Distance

CREATE SPACE is a two day community event designed to set the stage for dedicated conversation about mental health. Each night is filled with stories, panel discussions, performances, and more. RESERVE YOUR TICKETS TODAY: eventbrite.com/e/318934249927

Julio's Story

"For 20 years, I kept calendars, where I had four color codes. Orange was a good day, green was not so great, blue was pretty bad, and purple was...I don't particularly want to live. It’s taken 25 years of having the diagnosis to work myself out of the stigma." - Grace's Story

Arlene is an absolute force. A talented performer and storyteller, Arlene has been dedicated to disarming the stigma surrounding mental illness. She is currently co-authoring a book tentatively titled "The Everything Guide to Writing and Performing Your One-Person Show".

After multiple suicide attempts, this storyteller sat down with her children in an effort to be honest about her experience. Telling others about our mental health struggles can be difficult, but it brought them closer and she promised she would never end her own story.

Michael shared the "SEAN" story for Harlan Community Academy in 2019 and set the tone for the room that made it possible for students to open up about their experiences. Thank you Michael for your ongoing efforts to disarm the stigma that surrounds mental health.

This quote originated from a story shared with us about experiencing suicidal ideation stemming from sustained feelings of isolation. The guilt associated with those thoughts often prevents people from seeking the care they desperately need. Share your story. Lift the isolation

Meagan shared her experience of living with bipolar disorder, and explained how the symptoms she experiences are fluctuations of emotions that we all feel. Often, these symptoms are not outside of human emotional experiences. We have more in common than we realize.

Nora King, a talented performer and mental health advocate, joined Erasing the Distance as an actor. She has performed multiple stories from our library with grounded respect and kind humor. Her dedication to the mission makes any room she enters a welcoming one. Thank you Nora.

This past month we were lucky enough to share stories with all 1,645 students at Mather High School. We worked on naming the ways in which our emotions show up in our bodies so when the time comes and we need to reach out for help, we have the words to describe our experiences.

Terry Guest is an award winning Playwright, Actor, Producer, Poet and Teaching Artist based in our home town, Chicago, IL. He walked into the Erasing the Distance office (as he enters every room) with warm, loving and radically accepting energy. terrycguest.com

Sometimes it feels like progress moves at a slow pace. Other times we are reminded that it was only a short time ago that talking about mental health was "unheard of". Since the start of ETD, the conversation around mental health has morphed, developed, and gained popularity.

Claire Alpern Meidroth became part of the ETD family in 2018 when she joined the cast of "Over the Moon", one piece featured in DocFest2018. Since then, she has devoted countless hours to the organization in a number of ways. Thank you for lifting the stories of others, Claire.

Part of the stigma surrounding mental illness is that people who live with a disorder are thought to be very different from those who don't. When we realize that we have more in common, the closer we are to understanding that mental illness can be a source of connection.

In the 2nd episode of "One Story At A Time", Max joins us to share about his his journey toward understanding the importance of mental health after years of prioritizing physical health, and much more. Tune in on whatever platform you listen on! open.spotify.com/episode/4qasX1…

Janki Mody is a longtime storyteller and solo performer. She recently sat down as a guest on our podcast "One Story At A Time" (scheduled for release in the Spring of 2022) and shared her experience in the most open, vulnerable, and grounded way. Thank you Janki.

Our storytellers often express to us that they feel like a mental illness is treated differently compared to other illnesses. The more we work to disarm the stigma by sharing our stories, the closer we we get to making sure others are treated fairly and justly.

Scott Letscher is a particularly special member of the Erasing the Distance family. He served on staff as Operations Manager until 2019. Scott devoted enormous amounts of his time and energy to disarming the deadly stigma that prevents so many people from seeking ways to heal.

With the new year fresh on our minds, this quote from a storyteller stood out to us. A great reminder during this season that when we share our stories, we are breaking a barrier. To breaking barriers and sharing stories in 2022!

On Tuesday, October 12, Erasing the Distance will be partnering with Blue Door Neighborhood Center. Hear personal stories of those living with a mental illness, and stay afterwards for a community discussion. To register, please visit their website: bcbsil.com/bdnc